The Ohio State University named Big Ten Diversion Rate Champion
Ohio State tops Big Ten Conference in GameDay Recycling Challenge
COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the fifth year in a row, The Ohio State University topped the Big Ten Conference in the annual GameDay Recycling Challenge by diverting more waste than any other Big Ten university.
The GameDay Recycling challenge is a national competition among colleges and universities, to promote waste reduction and sustainability at home football games.
Ohio State achieved an average diversion rate of 95.4 percent at Ohio Stadium during the 2016 home football season. Ohio State’s most successful single-game total came November 26 against the University of Michigan, when it recorded a 96.23 percent diversion rate. That total was more than 20 percent higher than any single-game diversion rate totals achieved by conference competitors.
“These efforts to minimize the impact of massive amounts of waste support Ohio State’s universitywide sustainability goal of achieving zero waste on campus by 2025,” said Tony Gillund, sustainability manager for Ohio State’s Facilities Operations and Development.
Ohio Stadium has been zero waste since 2013. Zero waste refers to diverting 90 percent or more of disposed materials away from the landfill by recycling, repurposing and composting.
Nearly 96 tons of recycling and compost materials were produced this season, with only 4.5 tons of trash being sent to landfills. On average, more than one ton of pre-consumer food scraps are sent to Price Farm Organics in Delaware, Ohio for composting following each game. Ohio Stadium saw higher recycling numbers in 2016 than in previous years; more than one ton of aluminum was collected for recycling after each game.
In the national rankings of the GameDay Challenge, which include both stadium and tailgate materials, Ohio State improved its ranking from 20th to 11th in diversion rate and from 9th to 6th in recycling.
These efforts have also extended outside the stadium, with a renewed focus on diverting waste from tailgate lots. For additional information about Ohio State’s zero waste and sustainability efforts, please visit:
Zero waste at Ohio StateOhio Stadium zero waste processOhio State Sustainability Goals
For more information of the GameDay Recycling Challenge, please visit: http://gamedaychallenge.org.